GAC BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK (PDF)
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas-Monticello’s Kori Forge (pictured left) and Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Ashley Hobbs (pictured right) have been named the Great American Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Players of the Week for the performances in the first full week of conference games for the 2011-12 season.
MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Arkansas-Monticello junior guard Kori Forge has been named the GAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after leading the Boll Weevils in scoring in a 2-0 start to the conference portion of the 2011-12 schedule. The Atlanta, Ga. native poured in a weekly total of 45 points for an average of 22.5 points per contest. He started the week with 14 points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists in a 78-69 road win over then-ranked No. 22 Arkansas Tech this past Thursday. Forge followed that performance with just the fourth 30-point outing the GAC has seen this year by making 11-of-18 shots, including five three pointers, for a total of 31 points in a 90-78 home win over Southwestern Oklahoma State this past Saturday. He finished the week shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. Of his nine trips to the free-throw line, Forge sunk eight for an 88.9 percent clip for the week. Forge becomes UAM’s second men’s honoree this season after teammate LA Farmer earned the honors on December 13.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Southeastern Oklahoma State senior forward Ashley Hobbs has been named the GAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after averaging a double-double in a pair of conference wins over the past week. The Pocola, Okla. native tallied a weekly total of 38 points and 20 rebounds for an average of 19 points and 10 rebounds per game as the Savage Storm defeated Southern Arkansas (63-44) and Arkansas-Monticello (65-64) on the road. In the win over SAU, Hobbs connected on 5-of-10 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, while adding a pair of free throws for a total of 14 points. She also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots in the 19-point win. Two days later, Hobbs helped the Savage Storm collect a buzzer-beating win over UAM with a total of 24 points and 12 rebounds. She was 8-of-15 from the field, 6-of-11 from three-point range and 2-of-4 from the free-throw stripe. For the week, Hobbs shot 52 percent from the field (13-of-25), 57.1 percent on threes (8-of-14) and 66.6 percent at the foul line (4-of-6). She joins teammate Whitney Coffey as members of the Southeastern women’s basketball team to be named players of the week this season. Coffey was the league’s honoree for the first two weeks of the season.
NOTABLE NOMINEES
M – Zach Roddenberry, JR, F, Harding (18.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 77.8 FG pct. in wins over Shepherd Tech and Southern Ark.)
M – Johnie Davis, SR, G, Arkansas Tech (27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals in a 78-69 loss to Ark.-Monticello)
M – Steven Kohli, JR, F, SE Oklahoma State (19.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 61.5 FG pct. in an 0-2 week for the Savage Storm)
M – Austin Mitchell, JR, G/F, Ouachita Baptist (19.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 54 FG pct. in a 2-0 week for the Tigers)
M – Jonathan Fitzgerald, SO, G, Henderson St. (25 ppg, 87.5 FG pct. in a 2-0 week for the Reddies)
W – Sierra Rollins, SR, G, Harding (14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists in a 71-37 win over Southern Ark.)
W – Cheree Freeman, SR, G, Henderson St. (19 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 8 steals in a 2-0 week for the Lady Reddies)
W – Roselis Silva, JR, G, Arkansas Tech (17 points, 6 rebounds, 7 steals in a 76-68 win over Ark.-Monticello)
W – Domino Miller, SR, G, Ouachita Baptist (16.5 ppg, 7 assists, 6 steals in a 1-1 week for the Lady Tigers)
The road to the inaugural GAC championship continues this week as teams prepare for two more playing dates. Four conference double-headers are scheduled for Thursday, January 12 with Arkansas-Monticello getting the day off, while four more double-headers will take place this Saturday, January 14. Southern Arkansas has the off day on Saturday.